Apparatus for manu facture of gas



(No Model.)

G. w. HARRIS. v APPARATUS FOR MANUFAGTURE OF GAS.

No. 536,078. Patented Mar. 19, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

' GEORGE w. HARRIS, OF'QKINGSTON, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,078, dated March 19, 1895.

. Application filed October 24,1891.

To an whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingston, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact'description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the manufacture of combustible gas. r

The object of. the invention is to combine with oil-gas, and fix the mixture into a permanent gas.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in making a combined gas from bituminous coal and water-gas, diverting the gas from the stand-pipe of the coal-retort, the

stand-pipe having a slight seal or dip for the purpose, making a rich gas from oil or naphtha and steam in an oil-retort, and allowing the mixed gases from the bituminous coal and water-gas to pass into the oil-retort and,

mingle with the oil-gas, and then pass progressively back and forth through a part of this retort until the whole mixture is properly fixed, that is, combined into a permanent gas which then passes off through the stand-pipe and oil-retort, all as'carried into effect by the particular apparatus, hereinafter described and claimed.

Referringto the drawings: Figure 1- is a view in front elevation, showing the chief portion of the apparatus as put together, a portion of the front wall being broken away with removal of the mouth-pieces of the oilretorts more perfectly to illustrate the arrangement of the difierent parts,particularly Serial No. 409,716. (No model.)

' the construction of the double. retorts, the

steam-heaters, and the oil-retorts, with the divisions in the mouth-piece; and Fig. 2- is a view in central, longitudinal section of a portion of one of the oil-retorts.

The apparatus may be described, generally,

as consisting of two or more double retorts,

two or more steam-heaters, and one or more oil-retorts, all to be made, preferably, of the best'fire-clay material and completely enameled inside and out. I have shown an arran gement with two double retorts, two steamheaters, and two oil-retorts.

The double retorts, which are fully described in the patent granted to me November 9, 1875, No. 169,637, are to be used in the same manner as therein described, but, the lower chamber being filled with anthracite coal or coke, the upper one is charged with bituminous coal, and when the anthracite coal or coke is heated to incandescence, water-gas is produced by admission of highly superheated steam in fine jets up through the false bottom of tile, the water-gas then passing up through the perforated diaphragm into the upper section of the retort containing the charge of bituminous coal in suitable quan tity, say from two hundred to three hundred pounds, the gas from which is mixed with the water-gas as it is forced into the upper compartment, whereby less rich tar is produced than in the ordinary method, as the watergas charges itself with the illuminants; but, while a very much larger quantity of gas -may thus be produced from a given amount,

yet, unless a very rich or cannel coal be used, the illuminating power may not be as high as desired It is to remedy this that the oil-retort is provided. This oil-retort, composed of several fines or chambers of suitable size, is placed in the upper part of the bench, and is protected by tiles from excessive heat. this retort, vaporized oil or naphtha is introduced from a long, bent pipe kept hot by being situated close to the bench, yet outside of the arch where it will be at a lower heat than the retort, the oil or naphtha being first injected into the pipe by a jet of superheated steam. The mixture from the oil and steam passes back lnto and forth through the first portion of the oil I mingles with the water-gas and coal-gas from the coal-retorts, in any desired proportion, the whole mixture than passing through a second portion of the oil-retort, and being converted into a fixed gas, when it escapes through a stand'pipe at the oil-retort. This operation is repeated, the coke being drawnfrom the upper compartment of the coal-retort, and a fresh charge of coal being supplied to the upper compartment, over the fire, every six or more hours, or as may be requisite, and more or less oil or naphtha being used, according as the illuminating power is to be greater or less.

Referring to the drawings, A, A, indicate two double retorts; (1 indicating the openings in the false bottom forthe admission of superheated steam into the lower compartment charged with coke or anthracite coal heated to incandescence; a indicating the perforated partition between the lower compartment and the upper compartment, which upper compartment is charged with bituminous coal. From the coal-retort, there is a stand-pipe, a, which has a slight seal or dip, and through this stand-pipe, either the heaviest bituminous coal gas may be taken ofi, which will commence distilling before the anthracite coal in the lower compartment is heated to incandescence, should bituminous coal be put into the upper chamber at the beginning, or the mixed water-gas and coal-gas may be taken 0% through this pipe, if the resultant gas is sufficiently rich for the purpose required. If not, however, the gas is diverted from this stand-pipe through a pipe, a, provided with a stop and regulating-valve, a the purpose of which pipe and valve will be presently described.

B indicates a superheater for the steam employed to pass into the incandescent coke and to inject the oil and mix it with the gas as requisite, as will be presently described.

The water used in generating the steam is supplied through a pipe, I), to a return-pipe, b located below the furnace and, from the latter pipe, steam passes, by a pipe, b to the superheater, from which, by pipe, h it may be admitted to the false or perforated bottom of the lower compartment of the coal retort. and, by a pipe, 17 to the oil-feed, as will presently appear.

In the upper part of the bench are oil-retorts, O, 0, corresponding with the retorts, A, A, each oil-retort consisting of several fines or return-pipes, c, 0 c c and being protected from excessive heat by tiles, 0 These fines connect in pairs, vertically, at the rear; and, at the front of the retorts, that is, in the mouth-pieces, are vertical partitions, 0 between the fines, c, and c of each retort, a horizontal partition, 0 between the upper and the lower fines of both retorts, and a vertical, partition, 0 below, between the two retorts, forming divisions in the month-piece and separating them into an upper chamber for each retort, a lower chamber for each retort and a middle chamber, common to both retorts. Each flue, 0, opens out of the upper outer chamber of the mouth-piece; each flue, 6 opens into the lower chamber of the mouthpiece at its retort; each fine, 0 opens out of the lower chamber of the mouth-piece at its retort; and each flue, 0 opens out of the mid dle chamber of the mouthpiece. Into each lower chamber of the mouth-piece also opens one of the pipes, a.

A long, bent pipe, 0 preferably of iron, is placed close to the bench where it will become hot, but outside of the arch, so that it will be subjected to a heat lower than that of the retorts. Oneof these pipes may be at each side of the bench, and enters the upper, outer chamber of the mouth-piece. At the other end of this pipe, an injector supplies oil or naphtha by highly superheated steam, the steam coming through the pipe, and the oil through a pipe, c The oil-bench has a stand-pipe, 0, over the middle chamber of the mouth-piece, and is unsealed. Upon opening the valve in the pipe, a the mixed coal and water-gas enters the lower compartment of the mouth-piece of the oil-retort and, there meeting the current of oil-gas from the flue, 0 then passes, together with the oil-gas, through the flue, 0 around into the flue, c and the mixture being fixed in its passage, es apes to the standpipe, c.

It will be seen that the two upper outside flues in each of the oil-retorts receive the oil and steam together, and this mixture, first entering the long, bent pipes, the heat there is sufficient to vaporize most of it, especially when naphtha is used. As the gas from the oil and steam comes out of the pipe, 0 it meets the gas coming from the retorts and all goes in through the flue, 0 together, coming out of 0 and then going up the stand-pipe, the operation being the same for both of the sets of two or more return-pipes on each side of the oil-retort. The proper direction to the current of gas is given by the closed back ends of the return-pipes and the partitions in the mouth-piece.

The water-gas and poor coal-gas from the retort, A, when the valve is open, pass up the pipe, a into the lower chambers in the mouth-piece, into which the fines a and 01, open. In its passage through the fines, the gas is fixed.

The supply of oil or naphtha may be so regulated that oil-gas can be made at any time during the burning off of the charge of bituminous coal, or only during the latter part of the time when the gas is of poor quality, just as it may be desired to keep the total gas made of a suitable illuminating power.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a double coal-retort, consisting of two compartments, the upper one to contain bituminous coal, and the lower one anthracite coal or coke, and to be ICC supplied with superheated steam, this retort having an independent stand-pipe, of an oilretort having a stand-pipe, and a pipe between the upper compartment of the coalretort and the oil-retort, this pipe being provided with avalve, upon the opening of which the gas generated in the coal-retort will be diverted from the stand-pipe of the coal-retort and will pass into the oil-retort, and whereby coal and water-gas may be made alone, or may be enriched by oil-gas, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the double retort, of the oil-retort, consisting of a number of fines and having a mouth-piece divided into chambers into and from which the tines open, and connections between the same, substantialiy as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. V

GEORGE W. HARRIS; Witnesses:

W. H. DE HART,- E. R. AMES. 

